Bheemarama - Samalkot
Samalkot is located at a distance of 12 km
from Kakinada, 52 Km from Rajahmundry in East Godavari District of Andhra
Pradesh, which now forms part of Samalkot town, is known as Bhimavara
Kshetram with its famous temple of Kumararama - Bhimesvara. The village was
known in the past as Chalukya Bhimavaram according to the inscriptions found
in the temple.
The temple known as Kumararama at Bhimavaram in Samalkot is one among the
five important and popular 'Pancharama' temples of Andhra. The other four
temples dedicated to Siva are Amararama at Amaravati (Dist. Guntur),
Daksharama at Daksharama (Dist. East Godavari), Kshirarama at Palakollu and
Somarama at Gunupudi - Bhimavaram (both in Dist. West Godavari). There is an
episode on the origin of these 'Pancharamas' which is also found in 'Bhimesvarapurana'
written by Srinatha (AD 14th - 15th Century).
According to it, Lord Vishnu, in his charming and fascinating incarnation of
Mohini started distributing the nectar (amrita) obtained after the hazardous
churning of the ocean to both the demons (asuras) and divined (devas)
Dissatisfied with the injustice meted out to them in the manner of
distribution of nectar, the asuras lead by the lords of Tripuras resorted to
severe penance on the advice of the celestial sage Narada and were blessed
with boons by Lord Siva. Thus with the power newly acquired through the
boons, they inflicted atrocities on the devas, who sought refuge with Lord
Siva.
On hearing the pitiable plea of the devas, Siva killed the asuras with his
infallible Pasupata (a spiritual weapon of flame), which reduced them and
their kingdoms to ashes. This material aspect of Siva is better known as
Tripurantaka. However, a huge stone linga, worshipped by Tripuras, remained
intact after the encounter. This was cut into five lingas by Lord himself
and distributed for the purpose of installing at five different places which
came to be locally known as Pancharams.
According to the inscription at Pithapuram, it is very clear that the temple
of Kumaram Chalukya Bhimesvara was constructed by the famous Eastern
Chalukya king Chalukya Bhima-I towards the end of the 9th century AD and the
presiding god Siva, in the form of tall Sivalinga, was named after the
monarch as Chalukya Bhimesvara. The inscription states that Chalukya Bhima,
the son of Vikramaditya having been victorious in three hundred and sixty
battles ruled the earth for thirty years.
The Bhimesvara temple at Samalkot is similar in architecture to that of the
Bhimesvara temple at Daksharama. The temple is surrounded by two prakara
walls built of dressed sand stones. The outer prakara wall is pierced by
gopura - entrance on all the four sides. The four gopura - dvaras have ardha
- mandapas on either side. The inner enclosure wall is divided horizontally
into two sections separated by a cornice. It has a two storeyed pillared
mandapa running all the inner side.
The main shrine is a free standing monument lying at the center of the inner
enclosure. The temple is a rectangular structure and has two storeys. The
lime stone Linga, installed in the shrine, is so tall that it rises from the
pedestal on the ground floor and enters the second floor by piercing the
roof, where the Rudrabhaga is worshipped. The present Vimana of the main
shrine has been renovated and is covered with thick plaster. It consists of
flat pattas, row of geese kutas, salas, simhalalatas, lotuses and kalasa. It
is a dvitala vimana of the dravida order with regional variations.
Like in Daksharama, a miniature temple model, found in the court yard of the
temple, shows the whole temple with all the architectural details, possibly
used as model before erecting the temple ranging from AD 1147 to 1494,
recording gifts made to this temple. These epigraphs refer to the
construction of mukhamandapa at the Eastern entrance in AD 1394. Further the
erection of the additional structures like Srimukhamandapam and niluvu
mandapam on top of it in AD 1422 are also mentioned in the inscriptions.
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